Ananda asked Kashyapa in all earnestness, “The World-Honored One transmitted the brocade robe to you. What else did he transmit to you?” Kashyapa called, “Ananda!” Ananda replied, “Yes, Master.” Kashyapa said, “Knock down the flagpole at the gate.”
If you can give a turning word befitting this, you will see that the meeting at Mount Grdhrakūta is definitely still in session. If not, it is because Vipashyin Buddha has been keeping something in mind from the remotest times, and even now he still cannot attain the mystery.
The answer is more familiar than the question;
How many discuss this with glaring eyes!
Elder brother calls, younger brother answers—the family disgrace!
Here is the spring that belongs to neither yin nor yang.
Kashyapa is the Mahakashyapa who appears in Case 6. It is said that when he was born, the room was filled with golden light, all of which streamed into the baby’s mouth. He received the name Kashyapa, which means to swallow light, and later became one of the richest men in India. He was older than Shakyamuni Buddha and, as a venerable Brahman, had many disciples around him. Kashyapa opposed Shakyamuni’s early teaching because it differed from traditional Brahmanism, but he eventually acquiesced and became so ardent a disciple that Shakyamuni chose him as his Dharma successor (see Case 6). It is said that Kashyapa dressed so poorly and looked so thin that some of his disciples found him despicable. Whenever he preached, Shakyamuni Buddha had him share his seat.
Ananda, Shakyamuni’s cousin, is said to have been born on the night Buddha attained his great enlightenment. He grew into a handsome and popular young man and therefore had many trials to suffer because of women. Shakyamuni often helped his young disciple with this problem. Ananda became his favorite disciple and served the master for twenty years as his attendant.
Ananda was highly intelligent and had an extraordinary memory. Not only was he able to quote from memory all the sermons he had heard Shakyamuni give, but by some mysterious ability he was also able to quote the first sermon Shakyamuni gave after his enlightenment. Ananda would have been a newborn baby at the time this sermon was delivered. After Shakyamuni’s death, 500 enlightened disciples held an assembly at Vaibhāra to compile all the Master’s sermons. Ananda’s presence was earnestly desired because he could remember them all, but since he was not as yet enlightened, he was unqualified. For one desperate week he engaged in energetic practice and attained self-realization. Kashyapa examined him by commanding, “If you are enlightened, come into the cave through the keyhole.” Ananda did so (but I do not know how!) and joined the meeting.
Ananda recited all the sermons for the assembly, and those present agreed that they were exactly as the master had uttered them. It is for this reason that most of the sutras begin with “Thus I have heard . . .” This is a good example of what I was telling you before: possessions such as intelligence and a good memory are powerless in your practice. But if you do not depend on them, they will not work against you. Indeed, they could be helpful to others.
After attaining realization, Ananda continued his practice under Kashyapa for twenty years, believing that his own enlightenment and those of the Buddhas and patriarchs were all the same. But gradually he began to doubt and wondered if there were something else besides his own experience. Therefore he asked Kashyapa, “Did the World-Honored One transmit anything besides the brocade robe to you?”
Calling it brocade is an expression of respect for the robe. Actually it was made of coarse cloth. It is the Buddhist surplice, material testimony that the true Dharma had passed from Shakyamuni to Kashyapa. I suggest you reread the account of this in Case 6.
Kashyapa replied to Ananda’s question by calling out, “Ananda!” Ananda replied, “Yes, Master!” That’s all. Everything is complete. Nothing remains outside the call and the reply. “Ananda!” That call is the only one in the whole universe. It is one with the universe. “Yes, Master!” That reply is the perfect manifestation of the whole. Every one of us should be able to attain realization upon hearing it. When Kashyapa called Ananda, there was not a speck of delusion. When Ananda replied, the whole universe was totally used up by the one voice. Nothing remained outside of it.
Kashyapa said, “Knock down the flagpole at the gate.” A flag was raised on the pole at the gate when a sermon was being preached or when Dharma combat was in progress. Kashyapa’s command could mean that the mondo is over; nothing remains, so the flagpole is unnecessary. Knock it down. Or you may take it to mean that the flagpole stands for all thoughts, concepts, and philosophies. Kashyapa noticed that Ananda still harbored some concepts and commanded him to get rid of them. It is said that Ananda instantly attained deep realization.
Every one of us calls and replies in our daily life. But almost none of us can realize the true meaning of this. If there had been no delusions, Ananda should have attained perfect realization the instant he heard the call and gave the reply. But he did not. Kashyapa then gave him a last blow: “Knock down the flagpole!” With that blow, Ananda knocked out all remaining concepts and came to the realization that he is Buddha himself from the very beginning, standing empty and alone in the whole universe.
“If you can give a turning word befitting this, you will see that the meeting at Mount Grdhrakūta is definitely still in session. If not, it is because Vipashyin Buddha has been keeping something in mind from the remotest times, and even now he still cannot attain the mystery.”
“If you can give a turning word befitting this” means that if you truly realize the call and reply, you will be able to say something to make the other realize the essential world.
“You will see that the meeting at Mount Grdhrakūta is definitely still in session” means that you will realize that your essential nature still exists as it did in Shakyamuni Buddha’s time—that is, from the eternal past.
“If not, it is because Vipashyin Buddha has been keeping something in mind from the remotest times, and even now he still cannot attain the mystery.” It is said that there are six Buddhas who preceded Shakyamuni: (1) Vipashyin Buddha, (2) Sikhin Buddha, (3) Vishvabhu Buddha, (4) Krakucchanda Buddha, (5) Kanakamuni Buddha, and (6) Kashyapa Buddha. What Mumon is saying is that even the first Buddha, which is none other than our essential nature, if he has a speck of a concept, will never become enlightened. Even the smallest particle of thought will become your ego and cause you to fall into hell.
The answer is more familiar than the question;
How many discuss this with glaring eyes!
Elder brother calls, younger brother answers—the family disgrace!
Here is the spring that belongs to neither yin nor yang.
“The answer is more familiar than the question,” but if you see with enlightened eyes, what difference is there between the call and reply? “Ananda!” “Yes, Master!” That’s it! Neither has any color. Emptiness has no color whatsoever.
“Elder brother calls, younger brother answers—the family disgrace.” Kashyapa’s call and Ananda’s reply are both, from Mumon’s point of view, useless and unnecessary. By calling and replying, they are raising unnatural waves on the tranquil and peaceful water. To transmit enlightenment by calling and replying is not only useless but stinking. Isn’t it the shame of the Buddhist family? As you know, we are intrinsically Buddha. We are doing that (calling and replying) every day from morning till night, without any nasty smell of Zen or satori.
“Here is the spring that belongs to neither yin nor yang.” According to the Chinese philosophy, yin and yang are the feminine and masculine elements of the universe. What Mumon wants to say is, “Within me there is a spring which has nothing to do with seasons, time, and space.” Such a spring is the everlasting spring, the spring of the essential world, which is beyond relativity. There we can enjoy the true spring, which is true peace of mind.